A fellow Canadian gearhead I know recently stumbled across a restored ’67 Camaro on Kijiji for $79,000 and thought it was a typo. Nope… that’s what people are willing to pay nowadays!
Jeepers, why so expensive? Where does it all end?
Reminded me about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, the place where winning Indy 500 cars go to retire. The museum has been closed for more than a year, and curators need tens of millions for renovations. Their plan is to raise $100,000,000 by selling 11 dusty old race cars. Doesn’t seem possible, yet the first one actually sold on Friday, and it set a world record.
1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R
This old Formula 1 car was donated by Mercedes-Benz to the IMS Museum in 1965. Called the Monza Streamliner due to the closed fenders, it was driven by legends Juan Fangio and Stirling Moss. And it just sold on February 1st 2025 for USD $53,917,000 at an auction in Germany. This is now the world record for the most expensive race car ever sold.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM
The only privately-owned Ferrari (not a factory entry) to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, this car won the French classic in 1965, and competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966, 1968, 1968 and 1970 (thank goodness nobody wrecked it!). RM Sotheby’s expects the retired race car to bring in over USD $26,000,000 at the auction in Paris today.
1966 Ford GT40 Mk II
This old Ford will go on sale in Miami at the end of February, along with all the other cars from the IMS Museum collection. It’s one of only eight Ford GT40 Mk II’s built, and with its remarkable race pedigree, is expected to sell for $11,000,000.
1957 Chevrolet Corvette XP-64
Secretly built to compete in the 1957 12 Hours of Sebring, this experimental Corvette was test driven by Juan Fangio and Stirling Moss. The car was piloted by the legendary ‘Silver Fox‘ himself, Piero Taruffi, but retired after only 23 laps. The car is expected to sell for USD $7,000.000.
1965 Spirit of America Sonic I
This land speed record car is certainly a piece of motorsports history, but probably belongs somewhere other than the Indy 500 museum. Driven by Craig Breedlove the ‘Spirit of America’ reached a record-setting 600.601 mph in 1965 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The car is expected to bring in less than USD $1,000,000 despite its history.
- Here’s the other 6 cars that the IMS Museum is selling off, and their estimated prices. Most of the cars simply have connection to the Indianapolis 500, so perhaps there are more appropriate museums to display them in.
- – 1908 Mercedes ‘Brookland’ Rennwagen ($7,000,000-$9,000,000)
- – 1907 Itala 120 HP Works Racing Car ($2,000,000-$3,000,000)
- – 1930 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix ($1,000,000-$1,800,000)
- – 1991 Benetton B191 Formula 1 ($600,000-$1,000,000)
- – 1911 Mercedes 22 ‘Colonial’ ($150,000-$250,000)
- – 1911 Laurin & Klement Type S2 ($100,000-$150,000)
All of a sudden, that 1967 Chevy Camaro seems like a bargain at $79,000… and in Canadian dollars no less!
Lol yeah I was going to say, hmm………..79 000 lookin’ not so steep 😂
A bargain compared to a dusty old ’54 Mercedes.
No doubt…
All the cars are way out of my price range.
I’ve been following this ‘auction’ for a couple days now, and for some reason Sotheby’s did not release the identity of the buyer of that 1954 Mercedes ‘Monza Streamliner’. Makes me wonder who’s price range it’s in?
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If a museum in Germany bought it, you figure they would let everyone know that a great piece of German history is coming home. Publicize it right away.
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But if it’s a private buyer, it would really ba a shame. Putting a historic vehicle into a private collection just isn’t right.
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Probably the buyer is too ashamed to admit that along with buying the post expensive race car on the planet, they had to ante up another $5 Mil to the auction house (buyers premium) and another $10 Mil in sales tax to the German government.
WHAT. $53M. what.
And today that 1964 Ferrari 250 LM that was estimated to sell for up to $26,000,000 ended up selling at a Sotheby’s auction in Paris for a whopping USD $36,287,750
Well ok then!
I know, right? We were both thinking the same thing. $26Mil is chump change for a Ferrari 250 LM. Jeez, for that kind of money I should just park ut behind my mansion and let it appreciate.
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But $36Mil is more like it. Now the museum can definitely get that renovation done!
Ha! Be sure to cover it while it appreciates.
Car cover. Check!
I shouldn’t have traded my red 68 for a hydraulic pump for my semi 🙂 I wish I had my 67 Galaxy and 75 Pinto too 🙂
I’ve heard people say they got rid of a (now) classic back then for a variety of reasons and trades. But a hydraulic pump? Wow… that’s a first.
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And to think you could probably have stored the Pinto in the trunk of the Galaxy.
No kidding right lol I needed it on my Internation to operate the live floor trail I hauled bark mulch with to say he took advantage of the situation is an understatement but it’s all good, he had to get rid of it as well karma I say but I have had my pick of wheels since then and all ran and run amazing. Dad is watching me from heaven, as he was a racer and mechanic, who taught me so much.
A couple years ago, my son and I bought a, ’02 WRX which is a special car to his generation. We found the original purchase document in the glovebox with the carfax and stuff. The guy lived 5 minutes from here and I often think of driving over to this strangers house to show him his car from 23+ years ago is still alive and has a brand new engine. Bet he’d be happy.
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So I bet your Galaxy or Pinto ended up in some young guys hands who restored it and loved it. That would be good karma.
Sure is 🙂